DIA's new Asian Wing is most significant addition to museum in years

A Chinese Lion's Head made from iron dated 1000-1127, is included in the new Asian Wing exhibit. Detroit Institute of ...more

A Chinese Lion's Head made from iron dated 1000-1127, is included in the new Asian Wing exhibit. Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing that includes art galleries for Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian and Buddhist art. The media previews the wing Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

Should the latest expansion at the Detroit Institute of Arts be measured by its square footage or the thousands of years of Asian culture it spans?

At 6,500-square-feet, the new Robert & Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing physically grows the DIA’s footprint in the Asian art world considerably, replacing a previously installed Asian gallery that was a fraction of the size.

When it officially opens to the public on Sunday, the new wing will become the most significant addition to the DIA’s permanent collection in the past five years and easily the largest since the museum was reinstalled back in 2007.

Along with the Ancient Middle East collection, it’s only the second permanent addition to the museum in that time.

Positioned near galleries focused on African and Islamic artwork and culture on the north side of the 91-year-old building, the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing took about one year to build out after three years of planning across two different museum administrations. It joins a Japanese gallery that was installed just last year and recently reopened to the public.

And the new wing covers an even vaster array of time, dedicating itself to breaking down millennia of Asian culture into big themes like cultural practices and religious beliefs instead of following a historical framework focused on chronology — an approach that’s carried throughout the DIA’s network of galleries.

“We really strive to make the experience in the galleries meaningful for visitors of every level of understanding and education from experts to novices,” said Katherine Kasdorf, a DIA assistant curator of Arts of Asia and the Islamic World who worked on the new gallery for the past year-and-a-half.

The Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing runs the gamut with displays that range from ancient to modern, marrying light-sensitive antiquities on paper and textiles that date back thousands of years with high-tech digital displays aimed at educating and engaging patrons by showing how items may have been created or used during the era of their creation.

The light-sensitive displays require extensive lighting consideration and dark tones throughout the new permanent installation, creating a striking visual effect similar to seeing a stage play in a theater.

Katherine Kasdorf, Detroit Institute of Arts Assistant Curator of Arts of Asia, demonstrates an interactive digital Chinese hand scroll in the new Asian Wing at the DIA. Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing that includes art galleries for Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian and Buddhist art. The media previews the wing Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

The result is a dramatic visual pop to the array of pottery, painting, textiles and calligraphy representing Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southwest Asian art. As the collection rotates, so will the countries actively represented in the galleries. It will feature about 140 pieces at a time, and with works on paper and textiles being rotated every 6 months, more than 300 art works will be on view over time.

New works examining the global reach of Asian culture today share space with ancient masterpieces like the hanging scrolls by Chinese artist Wen Zhengming (“The First Prose Poem on the Red Cliff” from 1588), which combines stunning examples of calligraphy and painting working together as complementary art forms.

A side gallery dedicated to Buddhist art from across Asia and a section dedicated to Hindu religious sculpture dating back to the 13th Century are highlights of the new wing.

“The Hindu and Buddhist works of art that you’ll see in the galleries were all made for particular religious contexts,” said Kasdorf. “Many of our Hindu sculptures would’ve been made for temples or ritual processions.”

While some pieces are pulled from the DIA’s vast 60,000-piece collection, there’s also a new commissioned work by Indian-born, Detroit-based contemporary artist Neha Vedpathak entitled “Still I Rise” — a title inspired by a Maya Angelou poem of the same name.

Using a technique she pioneered called “plucking,” Vedpathak bridges the gap between the ancient and contemporary works on display through process.

“Plucking” requires slowly and deliberately pulling apart fibers of handmade Japanese paper to create a lace-like texture. The sheets of paper are then sewn together to create the large-scale “Still I Rise,” which is then painted with a rich range of red and yellow paints.

Following a pair of recent broad-based exhibitions aimed to welcome new crowds to the DIA — the baseball-themed “Play Ball!” and the popular “Star Wars and the Power of Costume” — museum director Salvador Salort-Pons said he hopes the Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing will continue to help the institution reach new patrons in diverse communities.

Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing that includes art ...more

Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing that includes art galleries for Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian and Buddhist art. The media previews the wing Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

“We are adding exhibitions that are non-traditional museum exhibitions because we want to invite people to come here and find things that resonate with them,” said Salort-Pons, who has worked at the DIA since 2008 and is now in his third year as director of the museum.

He carried over plans originally started before his tenure to maintain the museum’s current vision, said Salort-Pons.

“It’s important for the DIA to diversity our audiences, so this re-installation has helped us be in touch with the Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Bangladeshi community and bring them closer to us and help us do this work together.”

For Katherine Jacobs, the motivation was about finding the perfect birthday gift for her husband Robert Jacobs, who is the CEO of local pizza chain Buddy’s Pizza.

“One of Robert’s great passions is philanthropy and giving to the city of Detroit. The other one is Asian art. And, of course, the third is myself,” laughed Katherine Jacobs at a press preview of the new gallery wing earlier this week. “I couldn’t give him a better gift than the opening of this gallery, which he can share with everybody in the state of Michigan and around the world.”

While the financial contribution from the Jacobs wasn’t made public, it’s no doubt a sizable one considering its status as the biggest permanent addition to the DIA in over a decade.

Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs, pictured, Asian Wing that ...more

Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs, pictured, Asian Wing that includes art galleries for Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian and Buddhist art. The media previews the wing Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

Why did the couple invest all of that dough into the DIA instead of another worthy cause?

“The Asian gallery itself is really a merger of our love of the Asian culture and also the love of the fact that we really believe in the Detroit Institute of Arts,” added Robert Jacobs. “I love the DIA, but I think it’s extremely well-run and pursuing its mission of education.”

“There are plenty of charities and organizations, hospitals, other museums,” explained Katherine Jacobs. “This is partly because it’s so hometown. It’s so local, so it’s a familiar love for the people here.”

A silk Chinese Dragon Robe dated 1700â€™s to 1800â€™s, is included in the new Asian Wing exhibit. ...more

A silk Chinese Dragon Robe dated 1700â€™s to 1800â€™s, is included in the new Asian Wing exhibit. Detroit Institute of Arts opens the new Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing that includes art galleries for Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian and Buddhist art. The media previews the wing Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

Katherine Jacobs added that she believes expanding access to diverse, educational-focused art galleries is more important than ever.

The DIA "is making every effort to grow, develop and include all types of diverse populations at a time when we need to do that more and more,” said Katherine Jacobs. “It could remain static, but instead Salvador and the museum are trying to reach out and expose people to different ideas and arts. It’s a great mission.”